Device for receiving goods to be cooled in a refrigerator

ABSTRACT

A device designed to receive elongate goods, such as bottles, which are to be cooled in a refrigerator. The device includes a frame with elongate lateral strips, which can be inserted into a refrigerator and attaches to the conventional horizontal supports or shelving provided in the refrigerator. The device includes a first bar with bearing surfaces for the goods to be cooled, which bar is tiltably attached to the frame. The device also includes a second bar with bearing surfaces for the goods to be cooled, which bar is rigidly connected to the frame

The subject matter of the invention is a device for receiving elongategoods which are to be cooled in a refrigerator, comprising a frame orsupport for the goods to be cooled which can be inserted in to therefrigerator in a horizontal orientation, at least one first bar and atleast one second bar provided with bearing surfaces in order to arrangegoods which are to be cooled, of which the first bar can be tiltedbetween a horizontal position and a vertical position. The device issuitable for largely flat storage of bottle-like goods which are to becooled such as mineral water, beer or wine bottles or the like.

Such a device is known from WO 98/05910. This comprises a device with ahorizontal frame and two hinged bars where the frame can be hooked on asupport for the goods to be cooled in a refrigerator. The two bars areinterconnected by a coupling element so that they can executesynchronous folding movements. This device is very expensive tomanufacture and costly because of the large number of moving parts.

It is thus the object of the present invention to provide a device forreceiving goods which are to be cooled in a refrigerator which does nothave the disadvantages of the known device.

This object is solved by a device having the features of claim 1 and bya device having the features of claim 4.

In the device according to the invention the rigid design of the secondbar allows the coupling elements to be dispensed with. This is reflectedin reduced costs and in addition considerably simplifies the assembly ofthe device.

In particular, if the second bar and the frame are constructed in onepiece, e.g. as a common injection moulding, it is merely necessary tomount the first bar on the one-piece section to assemble the device.

In a device having the features of claim 4, the support for the goodswhich are to be cooled, for example, comprises a plate-shaped glassintermediate base or a lattice shelf.

If the device according to the invention does not comprise a support forthe goods which are to be cooled, as defined in claim 4, its frameshould more appropriately be provided with a device for attaching thisdevice to a support for the goods which are to be cooled. Said supportfor the goods which are to be cooled can comprise a plate-shaped glassintermediate base as above but also a lattice shelf. The device forattaching the device to the support for the goods which are to be cooledcan, for example, be hooks or hook-shaped elements which grip around thefront and rear edge of the support for the goods which are to be cooled.

The device can be displaceable to various positions on the support forthe goods which are to be cooled along its front and rear edge.Increased flexibility is thus obtained for accommodating the goods to becooled in the refrigerator.

The device is preferably attached below the support for the goods whichare to be cooled. In this way, the device does not occupy any space onthe upper side of the support for the goods which are to be cooled, tobe used for placing goods to be cooled and leaves this free for placingfurther goods to be cooled. The device thus makes it possible to use thespace directly below the support for the goods which are to be cooled,which frequently remains unused without such a device.

A device having the features of claim 4 can likewise have a frame whichsurrounds the support for the goods which are to be cooled however andis arranged on the first and the second bar. Here also the frame or atleast a part thereof can be constructed in one piece with the secondbar.

The frame attached to the support for the goods which are to be cooledor surrounding the support for the goods which are to be cooled isadvantageously made of plastic since such a frame can especially simplybe manufactured in one working step with the second bar.

The first bar, on the other hand, is preferably made of metal.

The second bar can comprise a first and a second bearing surface forplacing the goods to be cooled at different heights. If the goods to becooled are bottle-shaped, one of these bearing surfaces can serve toreceive a bottle body and the other to receive a bottle neck.

In the case of bottle-shaped goods to be cooled, it is also especiallyadvantageous if at least one of the bearing surfaces has arc-shapedsections. However, one bearing surface of one of the bars can have onesuch arc-shaped section independently of a recess of other bearingsurfaces of the same or of the respectively other bar.

The second bar can have a vertically oriented stop for the goods to becooled. Such a stop prevents the goods to be cooled from falling downfrom the device.

The stop is especially preferably a vertical wall whose upper edge formsthe other bearing surface.

The first bar can advantageously be located in the horizontal and/or thevertical position in order to fix this in the desired position in thismanner.

The first bar can be constructed in one piece; however, it can alsoconsist of a plurality of sections which can be tilted independently ofone another, each designed to receive one or a plurality of bottles.

The device is especially preferably built into the refrigerator suchthat the second bar is adjacent to a rear wall of the refrigerator. Thisensures that when this device is not used, said device does notsignificantly impede the storage space of the refrigerator.

The invention is explained hereinafter with reference to the drawings.In the figures:

FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional view of a refrigerator;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the device according to the invention;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the device according to the invention from FIG.2;

FIG. 4 is a front view of the device according to the invention fromFIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is lateral section through the device according to the inventionfrom FIG. 2 with a bottle inserted;

FIG. 6 is lateral section through the device according to the inventionfrom FIG. 2 with a bottle inserted oppositely oriented to that in FIG.5;

FIG. 7 is a modified embodiment of the first bar of the device accordingto the invention.

As an example of a refrigerating device FIG. 1 shows a three-dimensionalview of a refrigerator 1 with an opened door 3 and a device 2 accordingto the invention. The opened door 3 exposes the view into an interiorstorage compartment 6 of the refrigerator 1. The storage compartment 6is divided by four horizontally arranged supports 4 for the goods to becooled, here in the form of glass plates. Alternatively to glass plates,lattice shelves can also be used as supports 4 for the goods to becooled. A device 2 according to the invention is suspended on theuppermost support 4 for the goods to be cooled. Inserted in the device 2as goods to be cooled is a bottle 5 which is held by the device 2 on anunderside of the support 4 for goods to be cooled. The device 2 can bedisplaced in a transverse direction to any positions along the support 4for goods to be cooled.

Since the bottle 5 is held by the device 2 directly under the support 4for goods to be cooled in an area of the storage compartment 6 whichgenerally remains unused without the device 2, the bottle 5 occupies nospace on the bearing surfaces of the support 4 for goods to be cooled.Rather, this remains free for storage of further goods to be cooled. Thedisplaceability of the device 2 additionally increases the flexibilitywhen equipping the storage compartment 6.

FIG. 2 shows a side view of the device 2 according to the invention.FIG. 3 shows a plan view of the device 2 and FIG. 4 shows a front view.The device 2 substantially comprises a rectangular frame 7 with a frontstrip 12 and a rear strip 11 parallel thereto and two side strips 13parallel to one another, a first bar 8 and a second bar 9. The secondbar 9 is arranged vertically from the rear strip 11 of the horizontalframe 7 such that it projects perpendicularly downwards on the frame 7.In this case, the bar 9 extends from one end of the rear strip 11 of theframe 7 to its other end. The bar 9 can be made of plastic in one piecewith the frame 7 or at least with its rear strip 11 or it can bepermanently affixed thereon, e.g. by locating.

Both along the rear strip 11 and also along the front strip 12, theframe 7 has upwardly projecting rail-like hooks 10 which extend over theentire length of the strips 11 and 12. In this case, the hooks 10 arealigned so that they face one another. Alternatively thereto, instead ofthe rail-like hooks 10 respectively one or more conventional hooks canbe provided.

The bar 8 is suspended at the same height on both the side strips 13.The bar 8 is made of strong painted metal wire. It can be tilted asdesired from a vertically suspended position into a horizontal positionlying on the frame 7 and located there. This is indicated in FIG. 2 bythe bar shown by the dashed line and provided with a double arrow.

As can be seen from FIG. 4, the bar 8 has three arc-shaped sections 14which are used for insertion of a bottle. Congruently to the sections14, the bar 9 also has three arc-shaped sections 17 (see FIG. 5) whichextend horizontally over a depth of a few centimetres. These arestiffened by a vertical wall 16 constructed in one part therewith.Arc-shaped cut-outs 15 are formed on the upper edge of the wall 16.

FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of the device according to theinvention built into a refrigerator 1 with an inserted bottle 5 as goodsto be cooled. The device 2 is suspended with the rail-shaped hook 10 ona support 4 for goods to be cooled so that the bars 8 and 9 are arrangedunderneath said support 4 for goods to be cooled. The bar 8 hangsvertically downwards in the folded-out state. The bottle 5 is placedthereon with its bottle body. The L-shaped cross-section of the bar 9with the arc-shaped sections 17 each serving as a bearing surface forthe bottom of a bottle 5, and the wall 16 which forms a stop whichprevents the bottom of the bottle from coming into contact with the rearwall of the storage compartment, can be identified.

A bottle 5 can also be inserted into the device 2 in the invertedorientation, as shown in FIG. 6. Here the bottle 5 lies with a lowerpart of its bottle body on the bar 8 whereas the narrow neck of thebottle 5 is supported on one of the arc-shaped cut-outs 15 of thevertical wall 16. This type of placement is especially suitable forsmall bottles whereas the orientation of FIG. 5 is rather used for largebottles.

In many bottles the end of the neck is thicker. Since this thickened endis pushed over the wall 16 during insertion of the bottles, location ofthe bottles in the device can be achieved.

FIG. 7 shows an alternative configuration of the tiltable bar. Insteadof the bar 8 bent in one piece from wire which was considered above, amulti-part structure is shown here, comprising a shaft 18 which engagesin holes 19 of the side strips 13 (of which only one is shown in part inthe figure) and on which individual bars 20, 21 can be tilted andlocated in vertical and horizontal positions with the aid of pins 22.The two single bars 20, 21 can be tilted independently of one another sothat depending on the number of bottles to be stored, only the singlebar 20 with a single arc-shaped section 14, the single bar 21 with twosuch sections or both simultaneously can be folded upwards or tiltedinto the vertical position.

As an alternative embodiment of the device 2 according to the inventionthe bars 8 and 9 can be attached directly to the support 4 for goods tobe cooled so that the frame 7 affixed to the support 4 for goods to becooled can be omitted. Such a support for goods to be cooled can beformed, for example, by a glass plate enclosed all the way round inprofile elements joined to form a fixed frame where the rigid bar 9 canbe affixed to a rear profile element or formed in one part therewith andthe tiltable bar 8 can be suspended on lateral profile elements.

1-14. (canceled)
 15. A device for receiving elongate goods to be cooledin a refrigerator having horizontal supports or shelving for goods to becooled, comprising: a frame adapted to be inserted into the refrigeratorin a substantially horizontal orientation; at least a first barconnected to said frame having bearing surfaces for placing the goods tobe cooled, said first bar can be tilted between a substantiallyhorizontal position and a substantially vertical position; and at leasta second bar having bearing surfaces for placing said goods to becooled, said second bar rigidly connected to said frame.
 16. The deviceaccording to claim 15, including said frame fitted with an attachmentstructure for attaching said device on the supports or shelving forgoods to be cooled.
 17. The device according to claim 15, including saidframe can be displaced to different positions on the supports orshelving for goods to be cooled.
 18. The device according to claim 15,including said frame made of plastic.
 19. The device according to claim15, including said second bar having a first and a second bearingsurface for placing the goods to be cooled at different heights.
 20. Thedevice according to claim 19, including at least one of said bearingsurfaces having arc-shaped sections.
 21. The device according to claim15, including said second bar having a substantially vertically orientedstop for the goods to be cooled.
 22. The device according to claim 21,including said stop is a substantially vertical wall whose upper edgeforms one of said bearing surfaces.
 23. The device according to claim15, including said first bar can be located in at least one of saidsubstantially horizontal and said substantially vertical positions. 24.The device according to claim 15, including said first bar made ofmetal.
 25. The device according to claim 15, including said first barmade of metal wire shaped to form said bearing surfaces.
 26. A devicefor receiving elongate goods to be cooled in a refrigerator, comprising:a support for goods to be cooled which can be inserted into therefrigerator in a substantially horizontal orientation; at least a firstbar with bearing surfaces for placing the goods to be cooled, said firstbar can be tilted between a substantially horizontal position and asubstantially vertical position; and at least a second bar with bearingsurfaces for placing the goods to be cooled, said second bar rigidlyconnected to said frame.
 27. The device according to claim 26, includinga frame enclosing said support for goods to be cooled, said first barand said second bar arranged on said support.
 28. The device accordingto claim 27, including said frame fitted with an attachment structurefor attaching said device on the supports or shelving for goods to becooled.
 29. The device according to claim 26, including said support canbe displaced to different positions on the supports or shelving forgoods to be cooled.
 30. The device according to claim 28, including saidframe made of plastic.
 31. The device according to claim 26, includingsaid second bar having a first and a second bearing surface for placingthe goods to be cooled at different heights.
 32. The device according toclaim 31, including at least one of said bearing surfaces havingarc-shaped sections.
 33. The device according to claim 26, includingsaid second bar having a substantially vertically oriented stop for thegoods to be cooled.
 34. The device according to claim 33, including saidstop is a substantially vertical wall whose upper edge forms one of saidbearing surfaces.
 35. The device according to claim 26, including saidfirst bar can be located in at least one of said substantiallyhorizontal and said substantially vertical positions.
 36. The deviceaccording to claim 26, including said first bar made of metal.
 37. Thedevice according to claim 26, including said first bar made of metalwire shaped to form said bearing surfaces.
 38. A refrigerator havinghorizontal supports or shelving for goods to be cooled, comprising: adevice for receiving elongate goods to be cooled in a refrigerator; saiddevice including a frame adapted to be inserted into the refrigerator ina substantially horizontal orientation; at least a first bar connectedto said frame having bearing surfaces for placing the goods to becooled, said first bar can be tilted between a substantially horizontalposition and a substantially vertical position; and at least a secondbar having bearing surfaces for placing said goods to be cooled, saidsecond bar rigidly connected to said frame.
 39. The refrigeratoraccording to claim 38, including said second bar is adjacent to a rearwall of the refrigerator.
 40. The refrigerator according to claim 38,including said frame fitted with an attachment structure for attachingsaid device on the supports or shelving for goods to be cooled and saidframe can be displaced to different positions on said supports orshelving for goods to be cooled.
 41. The refrigerator according to claim38, including said second bar having a first and a second bearingsurface for placing the goods to be cooled at different heights and atleast one of said bearing surfaces having arc-shaped sections.
 42. Therefrigerator according to claim 41, including said second bar having asubstantially vertically oriented stop for the goods to be cooled andsaid stop is a substantially vertical wall whose upper edge forms one ofsaid bearing surfaces.
 43. The refrigerator according to claim 38,including said first bar can be located in at least one of saidsubstantially horizontal and said substantially vertical positions. 44.The refrigerator according to claim 38, including said first bar made ofmetal wire shaped to form said bearing surfaces.